SYNCHRONOUS ENCOUNTER

A mirror is a smooth surface, usually a silvered plate of glass that produces regular
reflection of light. It can either produce a real (inverted) or a virtual (upright) image. A real
image is formed by actual intersection of reflected rays. It can be projected in front of the
mirror and is always upside down or inverted. Meanwhile, a virtual image is formed behind the
mirror and is upright relative to the object. All mirrors obey the law of reflection, which states
that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

(Left) A plane mirror creates a virtual image located behind the mirror. (Right) A real image is created
by a spherical mirror which can be visualized on screen. Source:
http://cosweb1.fau.edu/~jordanrg/busters_34/answers_9.htm

Plane Mirrors are flat, smooth surfaces. A plane Mirror always forms a virtual image that
is upright, and of the same shape and size, and distance as the object it is reflecting. The
image is also laterally reversed, like when you face in front of the mirror, your left hand
becomes the right hand of the image and vice versa.

Lateral inversion/reversion. Source: https://mammothmemory.net/physics/mirrors/flat-mirrors/laterally-

inverted.html

Spherical Mirror is a kind of mirror having a curved reflecting surface. Both inner and the
outer surface of the mirror can reflect light. There are two types of spherical mirror. If a hollow
sphere is cut into parts and the outer surface of the cut part is painted, then it becomes a
mirror with its inner surface as the reflecting surface. This type of mirror is known as a concave
mirror. If the cut part of the hollow sphere is painted from inside, then its outer surface
becomes the reflecting surface. This kind of mirror is known as a convex mirror.
 Concave versus Convex Mirror. Source: https://www.toppr.com/ask/en-in/question/

PARTS OF A SPHERICAL MIRROR

1. Principal Axis (P) – imaginary line from the center of the mirror.
2. Vertex (V) - The center of the mirror
3. Center of Curvature (C) – the center of the sphere which the mirror forms a section.
4. Radius of Curvature (R) – distance between the vertex and the center of curvature
5. Focal point (F) – the point at which reflected rays meet.
6. Focal length (f) – half the distance of the center of curvature.

V F C
P

Parts of a Spherical Mirror

CHARACTERISTICS OF IMAGE FORMED BY PLAIN AND SPHERICAL MIRROR

1. Real Image – inverted image formed when the light rays meet at a particular point
after reflection from the mirror.
2. Virtual Image – upright image formed when the light rays appear to meet at definite
point, after reflection from the mirror.
3. Upright Image – also called as erect image. The same orientation as of the object but
laterally reversed/inversed.
4. Inverted Image– also called upside down image or real image
5. Reduced – image size is smaller compared to the object in front of the mirror.
6. Enlarged – image size is bigger compared to the object in front of the mirror.

To understand better the image formation and characteristics of concave and convex
mirrors, let us do the activity in the AraLinks CLE entitled “IMAGE FORMATION AND
CHARACTERISTICS IN CONCAVE AND CONVEX MIRRORS”